Cajuns receiver Jamal Robinson gets season off to quick start

Cajuns receiver Jamal Robinson gets season off to quick start

Advocate staff photo by BRYAN TUCK -- University of Louisiana at Lafayette wide receiver Jamal Robinson jumps over Southern defensive back D'Andre Woodland on Saturday at Cajun Field in Lafayette.

LAFAYETTE — If Saturday night is any indication of what this season has in store for University of Louisiana at Lafayette wide receiver Jamal Robinson, the senior is in for a tremendous final season.

Robinson had more than 100 yards receiving in the first half alone, including a 32-yard touchdown to put the Cajuns up 17-0 early in the second quarter. He finished the game with five catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 45-6 win over Southern.

“I have a mindset that I want to get every ball,” Robinson said. “I feel like if it’s one-on-one coverage, just throw the ball up and give me a chance and see if I can make a play, which I did.”

Robinson has waited his turn to be the Cajuns’ No. 1 option behind receivers like Darryl Surgent, Harry Peoples and Javone Lawson. Robinson said being the go-to guy in this offense is an honor, especially given the talent he shares his position with.

“I feel like James (Butler) could be that guy,” Robinson said. “Jared Johnson could be a No. 1. The trust the coaches have in me is a huge honor.”

UL-Lafayette coach Mark Hudspeth said Robinson he liked that Robinson was effective getting to the highest point, and he said Robinson and quarterback Terrance Broadway are perfectly in tune, even in Game 1.

“They made some really big plays,” Hudspeth said. “Terrance took a couple shots, and we trust our guys. There’s gonna be some times where we want to take those shots.”

Broadway said last season, he and Robinson had an “OK” understanding of each other, but after countless hours of work together in the summer, he said they now know each other’s every move.

“We gained a lot of confidence in each other,” Broadway said. “I know where he is going to be at all times. If I get in trouble, I know he is going to be at the right place at the right time. He made some great catches today.”

None greater than in the third quarter, when an illegal procedure penalty negated a tremendous touchdown catch by Robinson, where he came back and fought off a defender and caught the ball behind his body, reaching into the end zone for the score.

It didn’t matter, however, because three plays later, Robinson made another tremendous grab with a Southern defender draped over him in the end zone for a 7-yard score to put the Cajuns up 31-6.

“I threw that first one blindly,” Broadway admitted. “I just knew he was going to be there. We put in those hours in the summer time. I just took a shot and knew he was going to make a play and then I went back to him later in the drive. He is a very talented wide receiver.”

Robinson said he was briefly upset when the touchdown got taken off the scoreboard, but it quickly went away when he scored anyway.

“I made a play and I was kind of mad, but I didn’t show it,” Robinson admitted. “He dialed me up again and I made a play. I got my touchdown back.”